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Drawn by lower prices, a wider variety of products and convenience, Macau’s residents have taken to spending in mainland China.
Cross-border consumption has become a part of daily life for Macau residents, facilitated by easier border crossings and, above all, by the “northbound travel for Macau vehicles” scheme, which allows cars from the territory to circulate in Guangdong province. Especially on weekends, thousands cross the border of the former Portuguese-administered territory in search of lower prices in the supermarkets and restaurants of neighboring Zhuhai.
Macau is a special administrative region of China, located about 60 kilometers from Hong Kong. It is the only place in the Asian giant where gambling is legal.
Beijing has been pushing for its integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, and the territory is, step by step, aligning with the national strategy envisioned by Xi Jinping. However, as integration accelerates, Macau’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are suffering from the consumption exodus.
